Linus from the “Peanuts” comic strip is infamous for carrying around his security blanket while sucking his thumb.
It is this same idea of a comfort object that has soothed Hannah Kiresuk, a 19-year-old who lives with juvenile refractory myasthenia gravis.
Juvenile myasthenia gravis (JMG) is a rare form of myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune disorder resulting in ocular manifestations or generalized weakness, with onset before 18 years of age.
And Hannah has been fighting it for years.
She’s undergone more than 30 surgeries and procedures, countless rounds of chemotherapy and has spent hundreds of long nights in the hospital. Through it all, her stuffed animal “Hammy” has been with her.
But, then, it all goes terribly wrong. I won’t spoil the ending, but you can read her full story.
As children, we can become emotionally attached to cuddly toys, blankets, and even smelly old scraps of material because we intuitively believe they possess a unique essence or life force.
These objects provide comfort and a sense of security, helping children soothe themselves and cope with many everyday feelings and experiences.
When my son, Chuck, began to toddle about on his own stubby legs, his constant companion was a sock monkey. He played with it; he waved it, but most of all, he hung on to it as though it gave him some essential relief.
And indeed, it did.
Even as an adult, I have “comfort objects” that calm my stressors:
- Meditation
- Wine
- Chocolate
- The smell of apple pie
- My pets
- My PJs and books
The list can go on and on, but my favorite go-to comfort is homemade meals. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or unbalanced, a good home cooked meal saves the day. There is nothing like some good mashed potatoes, gravy, and a roast from home. It relaxes me because both my grandma and my mom used to make this for me all of the time.
Crazy to think a meal could bring me such happiness, but it does.
Whether it be something physical, spiritual, or mental, there’s nothing quite so satisfying as the people, places and things that pacify the dark times and bring us light.
